Collapsible sheet metal bottle carrier



Feb. 5, 1952 E. N. CASTLE COLLAPSIBLE SHEET METAL BOTTLE CARRIER Filed Jan. 10, 1950 12 1NVENTOR'.\4 1714' JV. (@5120 17? TORIVEY Patented Feb. 5, 1952 5 5 a a AT J Q. "PATENT FF C '2,584,7 87 v COLLAPSIBLE SHEET METAL BOTTLE 1. CARRIER E li Castle, siiiith orange. N J; Application January 10, 1950, Serial No. 137,812

I 5 Clair'ns. (01. 224-48) 1 invention relates m a bottle carrier and it. is o bi 'pf-ih n e ion. to. pro d a bottle carrier which is formed of metal and is are arranged in rows and spaced from each other formedof elements easily and quickly movable longitudinally and transversely of the plate and to a collapsed position or an extended position li a corresponding number of sockets 4 formed in for use there being adetachable handle which; the lower plate or bottom 2 with which the .when applied, securely holdsthe carrier inits openings 3 are aligned when the top is in.its extended position as well as allowing the carrier raised or extended position, but it will be under to be conveniently held and transported from stood that any number of companion openings sions constitutingsockets 4. Six openings 3 have been shown in the upper plate or top-,I which be manufactured at low cost.

I one place to another. 7 V Another object of the invention is to provide a bottle carrier having upper and lowersheet metal walls pivoted to end frames and thereby shiftable longitudinally and vertically from a collapsed position disposing the wallsin face to face engagement with each other to an extended posi-' tion in vertical spaced relation to each other where they are held by a detachable handle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bottle carrier of this character wherein the lower plate or bottom of the carrier is formed with sockets to receive bottoms of bottles and the upper plate is formed with openings which are aligned with companion sockets and through which upper portions of the bottles pass when placed in the carrier. (A

Another object of the invention is to provide a carrier'wherein the handle is formed of resilient wire and has arms which are detachably hooked to lower cross bars of the end frames and engage in notches formed at ends of the upper plate Si;

that the handle will be held against transverse movement and thus prevent tilting'of the carrier "when lifted for transportation from one place to another.

Another object of the invention is to provide;;;.;,

a carrier which is simple in construction and may The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the collapsed carrier; r

Figure 2 is a side view of the collapsed carrier; Figure 3 is a top plan view of the carrierin its extended position for use;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the carrier ready for use;

Figure 5 is an end view of the carrier; and Figure 6 is a side elevation of the handle, ad-

justed positions of its arms being indicated by dotted lines.,,

This improved bottle carrier has an upper plate or top l and a lower plate or bottom 2 which are both formed of stiff sheet metaLthe upper plate having openings 3 formed therein Land the lower plate being formed with depresfl formed of resilient wire. The strand of wire depending flanges 5 which are of such depth that when the carrier is collapsed, the bottom 2 will fit between these flanges and the two platesprevented from having movement transversely of each other.

In order to connect the upper and lower plates and allow movement of the upper plate from a lowered or collapsed position against the lower plate to a raised or extended position, there have been provided end frames 6. These end frames are formed of stiif were and are of rectangular shape. While they have been shown square, they could be oblong. Each frame has side bars I and upper and lower cross bars 8 and 9, and in order to pivotally connect the frames with the upper and lower plates the upper plate has its ends rolled to form sleeves Hi through which the upper bars pass and the lower plate has its ends rolled to form sleeves ll through which the lower bars pass. It will thus be seen that the end frames mayhave vertical swinging or tilting movement from the lowered or collapsed position shown in Figures 1 and 2 to, the raised or extended position shown in Figures 4 and 5 and in which theupper plateis parallel in relation to the lower plate and its openings 3 aligned with the companion sockets 4 of the lower plate. A notch or recess l2is formed in each of the lower sleeves ll midway its length and each end of the lower plate or bottom is formed midway its width with an opening 13 disposed inwardly of and in close proximity to the companion notch I 2. The upper plate or top has its ends formed midway its width with slots or recesses I 4 which extend longitudinally of the top through the sleeves l0 and are disposed directly over the re- 0 cesses I 2 and the openings I 3 when the top is in its raised position.

In order that the carrier may be lifted and conveniently transported from one place to another, there has been provided a handle l5 which is from which the handle is formed is bent in spaced relation to its opposite ends to form a bridge l6 and arms I! extending from ends thereof. Re-

ferring to Figures 4 and 6, it will be seen that the bridge has its end portions [8 bent upwardly, so

that it will be downwardly offset, and then outwardly to form fingers l9 from which the arms l'l extend. A handy grip 20 which is formed from a strip of stiff sheet metal is carried by the handle and has its end portions bent downwardly to form arms 2| in which are formed longitudinally extending slots 22 having entrances or throats 23 which extend from the slots atan upward incline, as shown in Figure 5. Since the entrances are disposed at an incline and spaced from upper and lower ends of the slots, the fingers l9 may be easily passed through them into the slots where they will be disposed at lower ends of the slots and not liable to accidently move outwardly through the entrances.

When thi carrier is in use, the upper wall or top i is grasped and drawn upwardly to its extended or raised position and bottles then passed through the openings 3 with their bottoms resting in the sockets or depressions 4. The arms ll of the handle are then grasped andv spread away from each other so that they may be thrust downwardly along outer faces of the end walls and the hooks at lower ends of the arms passed upwardly through the openings 13 in the bottom or lower plate. The lower end portions of the arms will then be disposed in the recesses I2 and these hooks 24 engaged about the portions of the lower bars 9 of the end frames exposed through these recesses. When the arms are seated in the slots [4, the handle will be maintained longitudinally of the carrier in a vertical position midway the width thereof and the handle will hold the carrier extended while the handle will be prevented from tilting transversely of the carrier. The hand grip 20 may then be grasped and the carrier lifted and transported from one place to another. When the carrier is empty, the handle is removed and the upper plate depressed to its lowered or collapsed position in which it rests upon the lower plate and the empty carriers may be conveniently carried in a persons hand or stacked upon a shelf in a store.

From the foregoing description of the construction of my improved device, the operation thereof and the method of assembly will be readily understood, and it will be seen that I have provided a comparatively simple, inexpensive and efllcient means for carrying out the various objects of the invention.

While I have particularly described the elements best adapted to perform the functions set forth, it is apparent that various changes in form, proportion and in the minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from, the spirit or sacrificing any of the principles of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A carrier comprising a top. formed with bot-- tle-receiving openings, a bottom formed with bottle-receiving sockets companion to the openings of the top, end members extending between the top and the bottom and having upper and lower portions pivoted tov ends of the top and the bottom for vertical tilting movement whereby the top my be swung from a. lowered position adjacent the bottom. to a raised position in vertical spaced relation to the bottom, ,there being reces'ses at ends of the top, and a handle disposed, longitudinally of the carrier in straddling relation thereto and having arms detachably connected with the bottom and removably engaged in the recesses of ends of the top to prevent movement of the top and the end members to a lowered position and also prevent movement of the handle transversely of the carrier.

2. A carrier comprising a lower plate formed with sockets, an upper plate formed, with bottle receiving-openings companion to the sockets of the lower plate, end frames having upper and lower cross bars, said plates having ends formed with sleeves through which the upper and lower bars passtopivotally connect the end frames with the plates for vertical tilting movement and thereby allow the upper plate to be shifted upwardl'y from a lowered position at rest upon the lower plate; to a raised position in vertically spaced parallel relation to the lower plate, the lower plate having each end formed with a recess midway its width and an opening spaced inwardly-from its recess, the upper plate having each end formed with a slot midway it width extending across its sleeve, and a handle disposed longitudinally of the carrier and having a bridge and resilient arms extending downwardly therefrom and straddling the carrier with lower portions of the arms extending downwardly through theslots of the upper plate and provided at their lower ends with inwardly extending hooks seated in the recesses of the lower plate and having their bills passing upwardly through the openings in the lower plate and detaehably holding the handle in place.

3. A carrier comprising an upper plate formed with openings and having transversely extending sleeves across opposite ends and depending flanges along opposite sides, a lower plate formed with sockets companion to the openings of the upper plate and having transversely extending sleeves across its opposite ends, the upper plate having seats midway the width of its ends and the lower plate being formed with opening midway the width of its ends, end frames having upper and lowercross bars passing through the sleeves and pivotally connecting the end-frames with the upper and lowerplates whereby the upper plate may be shifted from a lowered position in which the lower plate fits between its side flanges to a raised position disposing its openings in alignment with the sockets of the lower plate, and a handle disposed over the upper plate and having resilient arms straddling the carrier and having portions engaged in the seats and hooks at their lower ends passing upwardly through the openings inthe lower plate.

4. A carrier comprisingv atop formed with container-receiving openings, a bottom constituting a support for containers, end members having upper and lower ends pivoted to. ends of the top and the bottom and mounting the top.- forvertical movement from a lowered position to a raised position, and a handle disposed vertically over thetop. and having resilient arms having gripping engagement with opposite. edge portions of the top and formed at lower ends with hookszrremovably passing through openings in the bottom vand detachably holding the. handle. inv place.

5. A carrier comprising a top formed with contamer-receiving openings, a bottomconstituting a support for the containers, members having upper and lowerends pivoted to the top and the bottom and mounting the top for movement from a lowered position to a raised position, the bottom being formed withopenings near its, ends, and a handle consisting of a strand of resilient wire 5 bent to form a bridge and arms extending downwardly from opposite ends of the bridge, said bridge having end portions bent to provide a downwardly offset bridge having fingers at its ends from which the arms extend, and a hand grip consisting of a strip of stiff metal having end portions bent downwardly and forming arms formed with longitudinally extending slots having entrances spaced from their lower ends and extending from the slots at an upward incline, the fingers being fitted into the slots through the entrances and resting at the lower ends of the slots and pivotally mounting the hand grip for swinging movement from a lowered position to a raised position, and the arms of said handle being disposed in straddling relation to the carrier with portions gripping the top at opposite edges thereof, lower ends of the arms being i'ormed with hooks removably passing through 6 the said openings in the bottom and detachably mounting the handle.

ELI N. CASTLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 137,712 Miano Apr. 18, 1944 2,303,240 Strong Nov. 24, 1942 2,467,106 Adkins Apr. 12, 1949 2,508,062 Fowler May 16, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 762,980 France Feb. 5, 1934 

